


and i love you

by orphan_account



Category: Polygon/McElroy Vlogs & Podcasts RPF
Genre: M/M, Sorry!, a buttload of AUs, also doug is a human so uhh, alternate universe where law abiding citizen has a happy ending, basically its just the characters and no relation to actual canon, its super short but thats just because i suck, sappy bullshit, whoops!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 04:25:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13628541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: He sees it in old photographs. Crisp suits that he hasn’t worn for years. Envelopes marked “IMPORTANT” that sat unopened on the kitchen counter.





	and i love you

“You’ve changed, I think.”  
Russ looked up from his book. “What? No I haven’t.” Doug smiled. “Not in a bad way, or anything. But you’re different from when I first met you.” Russ furrowed his eyebrows, lost in thought. “I guess. I think you’re different too.” Doug burst out laughing. Russ always thought it was cute when Doug laughed. “Nah,” he said. “I haven’t changed in years.” Russ giggled. “You have! You’re nicer.” Doug reached across the table, intertwining his and Russ’ fingers. “It’s only since I met you, though.”

Some changes are hard to see as they are happening. But when he looked back and realized that pre-Doug Russ would have hated post-Doug Russ, he sees it. He sees it in old photographs. Crisp suits that he hasn’t worn for years. Envelopes marked “IMPORTANT” that sat unopened on the kitchen counter. 

He likes himself better now, certainly. He’s less self important, less pretentious. He wouldn’t say that Doug made him a better person, but he would say that Doug made him more genuine. He acted real. Before Doug, he cared so much about rules and laws. After Doug, he just… didn’t. He stopped. Doug changed as well, though- he used to be cruel, mocking and devilish. He and Russ settled for a happy medium; floating forever in moral limbo. 

Russ hadn’t liked anyone before. Doug was an oddity- a man who was uncomfortably sultry at times with a laugh that bubbled out of him like lava out of a volcano, a man with hands softer than the blankets on their bed, a man who wore sneakers to a wedding. He made Russ feel like a teenager. Doug could easily be seen as a bad influence- but when he smiles, he’s irresistible. When he smiles, it’s with all of his teeth. When he smiles, the line between good and bad is blurred.

It started tame- holding hands in Hong Kong, flirting via texts- but it got out of control. Lots of days they didn’t even leave the house, instead opting to stay inside and watch movies or play games. Doug cooked, Russ cleaned, and they figured things out. Each fell into a routine that the other was a huge part of, and that was intimate in itself. They memorized their small details. Doug liked Russ’ hands, and Russ liked the way Doug’s hair fell into a superman curl.

The ambiguity of their relationship was one of the things that Russ originally liked about it. He wasn’t sure if they were just friends or if they were more, but he was sure that it was the happiest he’d ever been. Things became clearer after a while, though- after the first kiss, after the first ‘I love you’ - Russ finally thought he understood.  
He was in love with Doug.

“Did you hear me?”  
“Huh?” asked Russ. “I said, I’ve only become nice since I’ve known you,” Doug said.  
“Oh! Yeah,” he replied. “I think that’s true.”

**Author's Note:**

> hey howdy looks like you're reading this! if you liked it you can uhhhhhh find me on tumblr at https://gimmethatmeat.tumblr.com/  
> title from someday we'll linger in the sun by gaelynn lea


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